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May 28, 2006

G48: Red Sox 5, Devil Rays 4

So, when was the last time a Red Sox win pissed you off that much?

After Wakefield goes eight shutout innings (108 pitches), Tito pulls the hook with a 5-0 lead. (Bad move.) Seanez gets two outs, but he also walks three Rays. Tavarez comes in and strikes out Norton, but Mirabelli lets strike 3 get by him for a passed ball (5-1). The game continues. Tavarez walks Gathright (5-2). Tavarez walks Lugo (5-3). (Was the crowd chanting "Papelbon"?)

Tavarez gives up a single to Crawford (5-4), but Gathright, with the tying run, is thrown out at the plate, by Willie Harris (who also singled, doubled, was HBP and scored two runs).

Tampa Bay 9th: 9 batters, 1 hit, 4 runs, 5 walks. Unbelievable.

Willie Harris = MVP!

***

Timlin on the disabled list ("tired arm" or "strained shoulder"), Delcarmen called up.

MDC's Pawtucket stats this year:

GM IP H BB K ERA10 17 9 6 19 2.12

According to the Herald, Tito will not use Papelbon or Foulke today. He told Paps: "Don't even put on your spikes today."

11 comments:

Well the word was that Francona wasn't using him becasue of a "tired arm." Hopefully it's not much worse than that. Our pen is starting to come around so this might not be a huge deal. With Coco and Pena swapping roster spots, we should keep Van Buren up and go with the 7 man pen. There is no need to bring Mohr back as the 5th outfielder.

At the 30% mark of the season, we've gone 30-18 (.625), a pace which is four wins ahead of a year ago, and one which if sustained would yield a season record of 101-61. We're in 1st in the East (+2 on MFY; +3.5 on TOR), as opposed to last year when we were stuck in 3rd, 4.0 behind BAL.

More noteworthy than the team's performance itself is the fact that:

1. They've done it without Coco, who after some scintillating play in the first week of the season has been on the DL since yesterday.2. In his absence, Wily Mo P. and Willie (Mays Hays) Harris have acquited themselves nicely. Like Brian, I will never rip WMHH again.3. They've done it without a 5th starter (though I have learned that DiNardo, loosely translated in Italian, means he who pitches BP every fifth day).4. They've done it despite Matt Clement in the 4-hole, whose stuff thus far has conjured up comparisons to his brother by another mother (ESPN hockey analyst), Bill.5. They survived the Josh Bard Era and, in the process, helped Wake get his groove back (for latest example, see G48). Think about it - we get Mark Loretta AND Mirabelli back in exchange for PB Bard and Cla Meredith? Nice job, Theo. Even Jesse James had a gun.5. They've done it with a bullpen that's a work in progress, with Foulke (appearances as consistent as Ken Lay at deposition time), Seanez (tomato can), and Tavarez (WHY?!) all capable of inducing more Malox moments than groundouts.

Pap has been an exquisite though not entirely unexpected surprise, with Schill's return to form and Beckett's strong start anchoring the front of a rotation that should be a force to be reckoned with if we can solve for #s 4 & 5.

Interesting items soon to appear on GM-eBay if certain teams don't show signs of life prior to the All-Star break. With OAK already 11.5 GB in the AL West, you've got to wonder what it would take to pry Zito loose from Billy Beane...just too delicious a possibility.

Craig Hansen made his third start of the season Saturday for Triple A Pawtucket, allowing only one hit and no runs over four innings, walking four and striking out three while lowering his ERA to 2.29. In his three starts he's 0-1 with a 1.54 ERA.

With Seanez and Tavarez shitting the bed, Timlin on the 15-day DL with shoulder-itis, and Wells' status still uncertain after last week's kick save on Bernie Williams, how much longer before Hansen is given a chance to make a contribution with the big club?

This 11-game journey through TOR, DET, and NYY will be no pleasure cruise, especially with a beaten up staff. Any chance we could see him before the trip is out?

How can a Sox fan be angry at the 9th inning? That's vintage Sox; it shows that the WS title didn't change their essential nature as the most unpredictable team in sports. I particularly liked Mirabelli catching the knuckler flawlessly all day, and then muffing a fastball third strike that would have ended the game. Three runs on NO hits, and then the only hit of the inning loses the game! Fabulous! Just when you think they have blown an un-blowable game, they win it in the most unlikely way imaginable. That's my team! This is why when the Sox were down 0-3 to NY in the play-offs I told everyone I knew that the stage was perfectly set for the team to go all the way to the World Championship.

Don't be fooled by Willie though. This is probably his last big contribution of the season... he's still hitting under .200. (Oldsters will recall that Jose Tartabull, the "Impossible Dream" team's Dave Roberts, threw out the speedy Ken Berry to end a critical double-header sweep against the White Sox in August of '67. It was literally his only moment of the season, and Jose was a lot better than Willie.)

Seanez: can't trust a guy who pitches like that. Taveras should have been out of the inning; it's unfair to blame him. Seanez had the bottom of the line-up and couldn't close it out. I'm hoping Del Carmen stays and Seanez is shipped out.

Meanwhile: when is Mirabelli going to start hitting just a little? Did anyone check the San Diego box score? Josh Bard hit two homers and is hitting .360!